Ulster County charter revision vote causes confusion

KINGSTON, N.Y. -- Ulster County voters easily approved changes to the Ulster County charter, but the ballot proposal that would, in some cases, significantly alter the framework under which the county's government functions was not without confusion and controversy at the poll sites.

In an unofficial vote tally, voters approved the proposition, 21,953-14,348.

But some voters complained copies of the local law were not readily available at polling places, as required by state law, and others said they weren't told by election inspectors of the proposition, which was on the back of the paper ballot.

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Elaine Ralston, of Samsonville, was among voters Tuesday who arrived at the polls unaware of the ballot proposition and unable to educate themselves about the particulars of the proposal.

"There was no written information," she said. "You can't vote on something you don't know anything about. It's unfair. I think it's a bit underhanded."

Ulster County elections inspectors acknowledged the proposed local law was not provided to polling sites Tuesday, calling it an "oversight" and a "snafu."

"It was an oversight," said county Democratic Elections Commissioner Vic Work. He said that because county offices were closed for two days as a result of Superstorm Sandy, elections officials were under pressure to prepare the election bags for the polling sites and simply failed to include copies of the local law.

Republican Elections Commissioner Tom Turco said that as soon as elections official learned there were no copies of the law at the sites, he immediately printed copies and had them delivered.

Work said he believed there were copies of the law in every polling place by noon.

Both Turco and Work said details of the proposition had been widely publicized in the weeks and months leading up to the election and that voters attempting to read the 27-page local law prior to the vote would have been hard-pressed to understand what was up for consideration.

Whether the failure to have copies available could lead to a challenge, though, was unclear, and the answer to that question was not readily available from the state Board of Elections.

The changes to the county charter are a combination of those recommended by the Ulster County Charter Revision Commission and the county Legislature. Some changes are merely ministerial; others radically change the way county government functions.